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Begin your walk at Plaza Bib-Rambla, enhanced with flower stalls and the Neptune fountain. Fronting the western side of the square is the warren of ancient shopping streets called the Alcaicería (see La Alcaicería, Granada). Don’t miss the 14th-century Moorish Corral del Carbón, which now houses craft shops and a tourist office.

Once the cathedral (see Cathedral & Capilla Real, Granada) opens, it’s time for a visit there; be sure to see the enormous Santiago el Matamoros (the Moor-slayer) on horseback, by Alonso de Mena, adorning the altar of St James. The next stop is the Capilla Real (see Cathedral & Capilla Real, Granada); you should visit the crypt under the ostentatious marble sarcophagi of the kings and queens, where their bodies repose in plain lead boxes. On the carved Renaissance sepulchres, note the split pomegranate, symbol of a defeated Moorish Granada.

Continue on across the busy thoroughfares until you get to the river and the long expanse of the Plaza Nueva, Granada . Choose an outside table (the cafés here are all similar), order a drink and take in the street life.

Now it’s time to enter the labyrinth of the Albaicín (see Moorish Granada: Albaicín). Take Calle Elvira up to Calle Calderería Vieja for the vibrant bazaar of the Moorish Quarter. Following the old steep streets, keep going until you reach the fanciful La Tetería del Bañuelo, Granada , an inviting place to sip some mint tea and sample Moroccan sweets.

The authentic Moroccan shops in this ancient quarter are all concentrated on two sloping streets off Calle Elvira – Calderería Vieja and Calderería Nueva (see Moorish Granada: Albaicín).

Clinging precariously to the edge of a breathtaking gorge, this whitewashed village has been known since Moorish times for its beauty and natural thermal waters (al-hamma means “hot spring” in Arabic). The Hotel Balneario preserves the 11th-century aljibe (cistern), graced by Caliphal arches. In the 16th-century Iglesia de la Encarnación some of the priestly vestments on display are said to have been embroidered by Queen Isabel the Catholic.

Notwithstanding its poetic Arabic name (al-mariyat means “mirror of the sea”), this town has lost much of its appeal due to modern development. Still, it does have a most impressive 10th-century Alcazaba, one of the most massive of the extant Moorish fortresses, and an engaging old quarter that still seems North African in essence.

The Costa Tropical is perhaps Spain’s most spectacular coast, where towering mountains rise from the shore. Almuñécar is the chief town along this stretch and it is now given over almost entirely to resort life. Yet it has an ancient heritage, dating back to the Phoenicians, and was an important port under the Moors. The intriguing Museo Arqueológico Cueva de Siete Palacios has a unique Egyptian vase dating from the 7th century BC (see Museo Arqueológico Cueva de Siete Palacios, Almuñécar).

The hill towns of this zone are rich in traditional crafts, including ceramics and weaving. Local jarapas (rugs) are particularly prized. Bags, ponchos and blankets, too, are hand-loomed in age-old patterns. They’re all offered at weekly markets throughout the area.

In this mystical place you can find the likes of handmade ceramics and natural stones, and you may even stumble upon some archeological items for sale.

A good array of all the traditional crafts that have survived in this city. Particularly appealing are the glazed tiles and the carpets in multicoloured designs.

Classic Granada pottery, ranging from plates and bowls to jars and crockery as well colourful Moroccan items.